On Monday 28 March, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said that the CSDP missions in Mali (EUTM Mali and EUCAP Sahel Mali) should be resized.
While in a letter of reply to the Europeans dated 23 March, the Malian government confirmed its willingness to maintain its cooperation with the EU by respecting the agreements in force, according to Mr Borrell, there is a lot of ambiguity, particularly regarding the presence of the company Wagner in the country (see EUROPE 12914/7).
“I don’t think there are the necessary guarantees to continue”, he told MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittees on Human Rights and Security and Defence. “It seems to me that it is inevitable to resize our missions through a targeted and reversible suspension, if necessary, of the most sensitive military training that we are carrying out”, added Mr Borrell, recalling that the Foreign Affairs Ministers will discuss the matter at their Council meeting on 11 April. The dialogue in the field of governance should continue.
The High Representative made it clear that he did not want these missions to close, adding that this would require the unanimity of Member States, “and we don’t have that”, he concluded. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)